On Reflection

If longevity be the means by which games are rated (it’s not), we’d like to chip in by saying that we still have friends hammering this on XBLA night after night even after a year. Credit where credit’s due, even at 1,200 points, that’s staggeringly good value for money.

The Score

Lumines is a great game, so it’s no surprise that Lumines Live! is also a great game. The idea is you drop coloured blocks down to form small groups of four blocks or more, which are then cleared from the screen when the scrolling line keeping time to the music passes through them. It’s simple but the addition of the music and clean visuals add immensely to the experience.

The game itself is fine but the issue is the pricing. For the 1,200 Microsoft Points, you get the bare-bones package. For an extra 600 points, you get the add-on packages that offer the challenge the Lumines veterans will crave. The add-on pack is pretty decent but the price tag certainly isn’t. Would this have been an easier pill to swallow as a budget retail game? Undoubtedly. As it stands, it is worth the 1,200 for newcomers, but experienced hands might want to weigh up if 1,800 points (possibly even more) is really worth it.

7 out of 10